Using a hand or stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Add a third of the dry ingredients alternately with half of the milk. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the chopped cherries, then spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the batter out and dot the top with the reserved whole cherries, gently pushing them down slightly into the batter.

Bake for 50 minutes or until top is a rich, golden colour and a cake tester comes away clean. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with icing sugar before slicing and serving.

Maraschino Cherry Pound Cake

A rich, flavourful baked good that’s sure to please – this MARASCHINO CHERRY POUND CAKE is the definition of scrumptiousness!

Where to begin on this wondrous treat… well, a few months back, Carol flipped me an e-mail from our friend Sandy with this recipe attached. My initial thought was to add it to our ever-growing list of content for future posts, but I figured we’d already set a pretty high bar with our very popular LEMON RICOTTA POUND CAKE. I wondered what maraschinos might add to the mix, and Carol kept encouraging me to take a closer look, claiming it was “good”. Well, let me go on record saying that my beloved business partner was dead wrong; this pound cake isn’t good – it’s absolutely outstanding! You are going to love this MARASCHINO CHERRY POUND CAKE!

The recipe is super straightforward, but having gone through the process, we did discover two key points we’d like you to keep in mind:

BATTER UP – Making pound cake batter isn’t rocket science (thankfully), but it’s important that the base ingredients be at their best! Make sure your butter and eggs are all at room temperature before you begin, and use extra large, organic, free-range eggs. I used an unbleached all-purpose flour making sure I whisked it well with the other dry ingredients before I started. Finally, only whole milk, please – this and the other points all contribute to a rich, dense cake with a slight crumb to its texture.

MARASCHINO CHERRIES – This cake is ALL about the cherries. I did a ton of research on maraschinos and learned that, like most things, there are the (exceedingly) good, the bad and the downright ugly. Those suspect red orbs filled with food colouring and chemicals are not to be used. The jars of cherries toted for cocktails are to be used only in a pinch.

For the absolute best results, where flavour and aroma collide, I suggest using only premium maraschino cherries. I think LUXARDO Maraschino cherries are the finest out there, and those of you living in Toronto can grab a jar at DOMINO FOODS in St. Lawrence Market. For everyone else, I’ve added a link to purchase in the AMAZON links below. Note: the Amazon link is for a 48-ounce jar. I used a 14-ounce jar for this recipe so buy the big one now, because you’ll make the cake again in no time… trust me.

The final comment about this cake is about flavour. My first bite, while the cake was still slightly warm, practically bowled me over, it’s THAT good and oh, so memorable. But as I continued, I realized the real kicker comes from the fragrant, distinctly flavoured cherries. I’d love to know what everyone thinks as they make and try this. Am I wrong, or isn’t there a subtle almond note that comes through with each and every bite? It truly is quite magical.

MARASCHINO CHERRY POUND CAKE! If only every sweet confection came with this proverbial seal of approval – a cherry on top!

[…] go-to, surefire way to get their party started. Looking for something sweet? Try our must-have MARASCHINO CHERRY POUND CAKE. Don’t forget to check out our list of uber-healthy ingredients you need to be eating – […]

[…] Although we’re suggesting this as a complete meal idea, you may wish to add additional items into the mix like our easy to prepare RAPINI WITH LEMON AND PARMESAN or BEANS ALMONDINE. For dessert, something equally easy like our MARASCHINO CHERRY POUND CAKE. […]

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Using a hand or stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Add a third of the dry ingredients alternately with half of the milk. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the chopped cherries, then spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the batter out and dot the top with the reserved whole cherries, gently pushing them down slightly into the batter.

Bake for 50 minutes or until top is a rich, golden colour and a cake tester comes away clean. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with icing sugar before slicing and serving.

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